Social & content

Medium and Substack Notes

Borrow an existing readership for essays about the problem you solve.

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Cost
Free

Free to use. No paid tier is needed to list or post.

Verdict
slow burn

Slow burn: borrowed readership, and traffic varies.

Difficulty
Easy

Mostly self-serve. Sign up and post, with light checks.

Effort
Medium

About 5 to 10 hours a month.

First result
1 to 2 months

A rough range for one person working on it part-time.

Payoff
Compounds

keeps growing while you keep at it.

Best for

Essays about the problem you solve.

Not for

Products that cannot be explained in writing.

Pros

  • Borrowed readership
  • Easy to publish

Cons

  • Traffic varies
  • Little control over distribution

The full guide

Last verified 2026-10-30

Links checked 2026-10-30 · The site blocks automated checks, so its links are unconfirmed

01What it is and who is there

Medium is a blogging platform with built-in readers and publications. Substack Notes is a short-post feed inside Substack where writers share ideas and recommend each other. Both let you borrow an existing readership instead of starting from zero on your own blog. Traffic varies a lot from post to post.

02Cost and what you actually pay for

Publishing on Medium is free; Medium also has a paid membership for readers and a partner program for writers. Substack Notes is free. Check current terms for each.

03Is it right for you?

It fits founders who write essays about the problem they solve, and products with a story. It fits poorly for products that cannot be explained in writing. It is a supplement to your own blog, not a replacement.

04Before you start

  • Accounts on Medium and Substack with your name and product link.
  • A few essays on the problem your buyers face.
  • Read each platform's rules on promotion and links.

05Step-by-step: how to distribute here

  1. Publish an essay on your own site, then republish on Medium using its import tool so the original is credited.
  2. Submit strong essays to relevant Medium publications, following their submission rules.
  3. On Substack, post short Notes with one idea each, and reply to other writers.
  4. Link to your product once, where it fits.
  5. Track which essays bring readers to your site.

06What to post or submit

Essay title:

Why [common belief about the problem] is wrong, and what works instead

Substack Note:

[One idea in two to four sentences]. [Optional link to the full essay].

07Common mistakes and do-nots

  • Do not publish ads disguised as essays.
  • Do not ignore publication rules.
  • Do not republish without crediting the original.

08How to measure it

  • Track reads and referrals from medium.com and substack.com.
  • Track sign-ups from essays.
  • A realistic test: five essays over two months.

09Time budget

  • Per essay: 2 to 4 hours.
  • Notes: 15 minutes a day.

10Pair it with

11Sources

Sources